Handle and actuating device for attachment to aerosol containers



May 9; 1967 J. BELPEDIO 3,313,493

' HANDLE AND ACTUATING DEVICE FOR ATTACHMENT TO AEROSOL CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Fig.1. l F .5,

w 7 L T INVENTOR. cJDEEY BELF'EDID r5 2! 12 BY (J3 u ATTUHNEYS;

' May 9, 1967 J. BELPEDIO 3,318,493

HANDLE AND ACTUATING DEVICE FOR ATTACHMENT TO AEROSOL CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FEB 25 I N VEN TOR.

1a LIUEBY EELF'EDIE] United States Patent 3,318,493 HANDLE AND ACTUATING DEVICE FUR AT- TACHMENT T0 AEROSOL CONTAINERS lobby Belpedio, 2209 North Ave., Bridgeport, Conn. 06604 Filed Nov. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 509,843 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-402.15)

The present invention relates to a handle and actuating device for attachment to aerosol containers, particularly of the type having a depressible spring-biased spray nozzle at the upper end of the container, and which in normal use is adapted to be depressed by the index finger of the hand holding the container to actuate a release valve to cause a spray of the contents of the container to be directed laterally from the nozzle. This is an awkward procedure and frequently results in misdirecting the spray and the likelihood of soiling the fingers through inadvertent contact with the spray, As the nozzle must be depressed by the end of the finger while at the same time grapsing the container, considerable effort is required, especially during sustained use. A particular object of the invention is to provide a handle and actuating device of extremely simple and inexpensive construction and capable of easy and efificient operation.

Attachments of this type are very often used by housewives and, because of the fact that the contents of the conventional aerosol container are rapidly consumed, frequent attachment and detachment of the handle and actuating device becomes necessary. Heretofore, a number of such devices have employed spring means arranged to be forced into interlocking relation with the container and, as such spring means are designed to firmly retain the attachment in place, considerable effort is required to overcome the force of such spring means, both when attaching the device to the container and removing it. A further object of the invention is to provide interlocking retaining means for firmly attaching the device to the container, including the spray actuating lever of the device which in an inoperative position places the retaining means in such relation as to permit substantially free engagement with the container, and which through easy swinging movement of the lever to operative position actuates the retaining means into interlocking relation, thus making the attachment of the device a very simple operation requiring very little effort. device may with equal ease be removed by swinging the lever into inoperative position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein satisfactory embodiments of the invention are shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational 'view showing the device in engagement with an aerosol container and with the actuating lever means in inoperative position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view;

FIG. 4 is top plan View showing the actuating lever in operative position;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation showing a modified form of the invention with the actuating lever in inoperative position;

Conversely, the

FIG. 9 is a top plan view;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view showing the actuating lever in operative position;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1-7, the handle and actuating device for attachment to aerosol containers, according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated therein, comprises a handle part 10 formed from a length of relatively stitf springy wire of circular cross-section bent to shape and including a downwardly and outwardly inclined hand-grip portion 11 of loop form, a horizontally extended shank portion 12 formed by twisting the two reaches of the wire about each other, opposed segmental curved portions 13-13 defining a substantially circular retaining ring extending from the shank portion 12 and disposed in a horizontal plane, forwardly and downwardly inclined leg portions 14-14 extending from the ring-forming curved portions 13, and trunnion pivot portions 15-15 bent outwardly from the ends of leg portions 14, The curved portions 13 are preferably subjected to a flattening operation so as to provide them with fiat upper and lower surfaces 16 and 17 for better retaining engagement with the aerosol container.

The aerosol container 18 to which the device of the invention is adapted to be attached is of conventional type, closed at its upper end by a cup-shaped cap 19 crimped over the neck 20 of a domed head 21 secured upon the upper end of the cylindrical body of the container. A tubular valve stem 22 extends upwardly from the center of the cap 19 and is provided with a depressible push-button-like spray nozzle 23 having a spray orifice 24.

An actuating lever 25, preferably stamped and dieshaped from a single piece of sheet metal, comprises a relatively wide forward portion 26 having an opening 27, a convergent rearward portion 28, a push button engaging angular finger portion 29 bent upwardly from the inner end of the opening 27, and a connecting wall portion 30 at the forward end of the opening 27 bent downwardly from the forward extremities of the forward portion 26.

At the forward end of the opening 27 a pair of apertured bearing ears 31-31 are bent downwardly from the opposed sides of the opening 27 adjacent the inner side of the wall portion 30 for receiving the pivot ends 15 of the handle part 10. The assembly of the handle part with the lever part is accomplished by pressing the two leg portions '14 of the handle part inwardly towards each other to bring the outer ends of the pivot portions 15 into register with the apertures of the bearing ears, whereupon the leg portions will spring outwardly and force the pivot portions into engagement with the apertures. In the inoperative or open position of the handle part as seen in FIGS. l-3, the leg portions 14 of the handle part engage the flat parallel sides of the bearing ears 31 with the curved portions 13 spread outwardly to a point where 'these portions may be easily slipped over the periphery of the cap 19 of the container, or as readily disengaged therefrom. As is clear from FIG. 3 the inside diameter of the substantially circular ring formed by the curved portions 13 is substantially larger than the outside diameter of the neck portion 20 of the container and is slightly less than the outside diameter of the cap portion 19, so that the handle part '10 with the actuating lever 25 in open position may be pressed into place upon the container with a very slight outward springing action of the curved portions 13 of the handle part.

Each of the bearing ears 31 is provided with an olfset cam portion 32 which is out of engagement with the leg portion 14 in the inoperative position of lever as seen in FIGS. 1-3. Upon swinging the handle into its operative position as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the finger 29 is engaged with the spray nozzle 23 of the container and the outer or rearward end 28 of the lever is disposed above the hand-grip portion 11 for convenient engagement by the thumb of the hand grasping the handgrip, and the cam portions 32 ride onto the outer sides of the leg portions 14 of the handle part, as clearly seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, causing them to be pressed toward each other and at the same time contracting the curved portions 13 beneath the edge of the cap '19 into firm engagement with the neck 20 of the container, thus firmly locking the attachment in place upon the container. The tension setup in the leg portions 14 is such that a sufficient frictional resistance is created to normally retain the lever in operating position, the cam portions having flat surfaces 33-33 of sufficient extent to allow a slight movement to take place as the lever is depressed to actuate the spray nozzle. In order to latch the lever in its operative position the cam portions are preferably provided with convexly rounded detent projections 3434 which in the operative position of the lever are positioned below the leg portions 14 to thus prevent inadvertent swinging of the lever to its inoperative position.

In FIGS. 8-13 there is illustrated a modification of the invention in which the actuating lever 25-A is formed of a single length of wire bent to shape, the bent wire handle and retaining member being the same as that of the first embodiment. The lever 25-A is of generally rectangular shape in plan, one side '35 being continuous between its extremities from which extend outer and inner transverse ends 36 and 3-7, and the other side being discontinuous and comprising a part 38 extending from the outer end 36 and having a hook end 39 and a part 40 extending from the inner end 37 and having an extension 41 looped around the hook end 39 and disposed along the center line of the lever. The extension 41 is adapted in the operative position, as will presently more fully appear, to engage the spray nozzle 23 of the aerosol container, being provided at its end with a downwardly bent portion 42 for positioning engagement at the forward side of the spray nozzle. The connections between the inner end 37 and the sides of the lever are in the form of loops 43-43 of circular form defining bearing openings in which the trunnion pivot ends of the handle and retaining member 10 are engaged. The loops include inwardly inclined cam portions extending from the sides of the lever to the inner surfaces of the sides of the lever, and portions extending to the extremities of the end 37 of the lever and disposed in parallel relation at the inner surfaces of the sides of the lever.

As clearly seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, wherein the lever is shown in an outwardly swung inoperative position with its underside uppermost, the inclined cam portions of the loops 43 diverge outwardly and permit the leg portions 14 of the handle end retaining member 10 to spread outwardly and bear against divergent ends of the cam portions. Thus the retaining ring formed by the curved portions 13 is moved to its expanded position Where it may be freely engaged with the cap of the aerosol container. In order to contact the retaining ring into interlocking relation beneath the edge of the container cap, the lever is swung from the inoperative position, as seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, to the operative position overlying the aerosol container, as seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, whereby the cam portions of the loops 43 force the leg portions 14 inwardly tothe point where the parts of the loops 43 which lie in parallel relation to the inner sides of the lever are engaged with the leg portions 14, thus frictionally retaining the lever inoperative position and contracting the retaining ring in retaining position beneath the container cap.

In order to dispose the lever in convenient operating relation to the handle to enable it to be readily engaged by the thumb of the hand gripping the handle, the lever is convexly curved between its ends and the extension 41 is bent upwardly so that in the operative position where it engages the spray nozzle, it is disposed in a substantially horizontal position.

While the frictional relationship between the loop portions 43 of the lever and the leg portions 14 of the handle and retaining member is s-uificient to normally retain the lever in operating position, the loop portions are preferably provided with detent means for latching the lever in place in the form of convexly rounded bosses or projections 44 as seen in FIGS. 12 and 13 which are disposed below the leg portions '14 in the operative position of lever.

These projections may be applied in any suitable manner, for example by swedging the projecting shapes in the loop portions.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A handle and actuating device for attachment to an aerosol container; said container including a circular cap at its upper end having a downwardly directed peripheral edge, an annular reduced neck providing an annular recess beneath said edge, and a depressible valve actuating spray nozzle projecting upwardly centrally of said cap for projecting a spray laterally therefrom; said device comprising:

(A) a handle and retaining member comprising:

(1) a substantially ring-shaped ring part comprising opposed segmental curved portions for disposition beneath said edge -of said cap,

(2) a handle part extending rearwardly and downwardly from said ring part,

(3) opposed leg parts extending forwardly from said segmental curved portions of said ring part, and

(4) outwardly extending trunnion pivot parts extending outwardly from the forward ends of said leg parts; and

(B) an actuating lever member comprising:

(1) a forward part pivotally engaged by said pivot parts,

(2) an intermediate part normally extending rearwardly over said ring part,

(3) a finger part for engagement with said spray nozzle to depress it upon depression of said actuating lever member,

(4) a thumb-engaging part extending rearwardly from said intermediate part, and

(5) cam means carried by said lever member and engageable in an operative position of said lever member with said leg parts to force them toward each other to contract said ring part into clamping relation beneath said edge of said cap, and in an inoperative position of said lever member wherein it is swung forwardly from said operative position to allow said leg parts to move away from each other and said ring part to sexpand.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said handle and retaining member is formed of a single length of relatively stiif sp-ringy wire bent to shape and including a loop portion constituting said handle part, a portion in which two reaches of the wire are twisted about each other and constituting the shank of said handle part, a pair of opposed segmental curved portions extending forwardly from said twisted portion and constituting said ring part, leg portions extending forwardly from said curved portions, and pivot portions extending outwardly from the forward ends of said leg portions.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein said wire is of circular cross-section and the upper and lower sides of said curved portions are flat.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said cam means include projection means arranged to snap beneath said leg portions in the operative position of said lever to releasably latch said lever in operative position.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever member has an opening adapted to be disposed forwardly of said spray nozzle in said operative position of said lever member to permit free lateral passage of the spray from said nozzle therethrough.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever member is formed of a single piece of sheet metal pressed to shape, and wherein said cam means comprises integral apertured ear portions of said member having said pivot parts of said handle means engaged therein.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein said ear portions include oifset cam portions which engage said leg parts in the operative position of said lever member.

8. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said lever member is formed of a single length of relatively stifi wire bent to shape and including loop portions at the forward end of said lever mem'ber pivotally engaged by said pivot parts and constituting said cam means.

9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said lever includes a continuous side portion, outer and inner end portions, a discontinuous side portion having hook connections intermediate its ends with one of said hook connections extended to constitute said spray nozzle engaging finger part, and wherein said loop portions form the connections between the inner extremities of said side portions and said inner end portion.

10. A device as defined in claim 9, wherein said loop portions include surfaces which are inclined relatively to said side portions whereby said leg parts are forced toward each other through movement of said lever member from inoperative to operative portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,214,734 2/1917 Williams 215-45 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,228,142 4/1960 France.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. H. S. LANE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HANDLE AND ACTUATING DEVICE FOR ATTACHMENT TO AN AEROSOL CONTAINER; SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING A CIRCULAR CAP AT ITS UPPER END HAVING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED PERIPHERAL EDGE, AN ANNULAR REDUCED NECK PROVIDING AN ANNULAR RECESS BENEATH SAID EDGE, AND A DEPRESSIBLE VALVE ACTUATING SPRAY NOZZLE PROJECTING UPWARDLY CENTRALLY OF SAID CAP FOR PROJECTING A SPRAY LATERALLY THEREFROM; SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A HANDLE AND RETAINING MEMBER COMPRISING: (1) A SUBSTANTIALLY RING-SHAPED RING PART COMPRISING OPPOSED SEGMENTAL CURVED PORTIONS FOR DISPOSITION BENEATH SAID EDGE OF SAID CAP, (2) A HANDLE PART EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID RING PART, (3) OPPOSED LEG PARTS EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID SEGMENTAL CURVED PORTIONS OF SAID RING PART, AND (4) OUTWARDLY EXTENDING TRUNNION PIVOT PARTS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE FORWARD ENDS OF SAID LEG PARTS; AND (B) AN ACTUATING LEVER MEMBER COMPRISING: (1) A FORWARD PART PIVOTALLY ENGAGED BY SAID PIVOT PARTS, (2) AN INTERMEDIATE PART NORMALLY EXTENDING REARWARDLY OVER SAID RING PART, (3) A FINGER PART FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SPRAY NOZZLE TO DEPRESS IT UPON DEPRESSION OF SAID ACTUATING LEVER MEMBER, (4) A THUMB-ENGAGING PART EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE PART, AND 